First Time Smoker

[RyanDailey13]

I am going to be smoking for this first time, and was wondering what I would need from the pros here for a first timer. I want to do a pork butt on my Recteq RT-700. Any and all advice is greatly appreciated.

Thanks

 

[drunkenmeatfist]

Do you already have a plan for what your process will be?

 

[chef jimmyj]

Welcome...You have the meat and smoker.
Get a good Thermometer with Remote. The good Folks at INKBIRD are sponors, make a great therm and constantly run promotions.
You will want to know the Temp near the meat and the Internal Temp (IT) of the meat so you can monitor progress.

Next a tasty commercial or homemade Rub is great on the pork. I like to apply the night before but just before going in the smokers is not uncommon. Just coat generously, wrap and refer until ready to smoke. I like to add more the day of cooing.
Get your smoker going. The Rec Tec guys have lots of help there, and put the meat in.
Nice weather, as we are having, I get music going, a 12 pack of Yeungling Lager on Ice in a cooler and sit back to enjoy the Smoke and smell of Cooking Pork.
The timing varies be temp and other choices, like a Naked Smoke or Foiling at the Stall, IT of 160°F or so. With the Rec Tec or any Pellet Pooper, your best Smoke Generation is at 180° and you must decide if you want to spend a couple hours adding Heavy Smoke and then make up the Time at the end running Hot and Fast. Or go Low the entire time.
Generally I find...Plan on 2 hours per pound of pork at 225°F to 250°F. Then 30 minutes per pound LESS for every 25°F you increase the temp. At 325-350°F it takes 30 to 45 minutes per pound.
When the IT hits 200-205, take a Chopstick and start poking the meat. If the Chopstick slides in with No Resistance, your Pork is Done. A 30-60 rest, tented with foil, on the counter give time to set the table and get the sides ready. Pull the meat and Eat. I
If you get done sooner than expected, double wrap in Foil well, wrap in towels and place the Pork in a Cooler. It will stay hot a out 5 hours or until needed.
Finishing Sauces add moisture and flavor to the pulled meat and folks Top their Pork with a variety of stuff. Below are some of my Favorite Pulled Pork Recipes...JJ

My Favorite Rub...

Cajun Rib Tickler

1C Tubinado or Dried Brown Sugar*
1/4C Paprika**
2T Kosher Salt
2T Garlic Powder
2T Onion Powder
2T Mustard Powder
2T Chili Powder
2tsp Black Pepper
1-2tsp Cayenne
2tsp Dry Oregano
2tsp Dry Thyme
2tsp Cry Celery Flakes
1tsp Celery Seed

Grind the Oregano, Thyme, Celery Flake and Seed. Mix all and store in air tight container, up to 3 months...

Notes...* Leave out the Sugar for a Cajun Blackening Spice. Spinkle a lot or a little, on whatever meat, dip in melted Butter or Olive oil and saute in a very hot pan until cooked to your desired IT.

** If you wish you can use Smoked Paprika in the recipe. This will give a seasoning that will add some "Smokey flavor" to Grilled, Sauteed, Fried or Roasted meat, not just stuff you smoke.

Mix and store in an air tight container...

I like a Tangy Finishing Sauce IN the Pork...

Tangy Pulled Pork Finishing Sauce

This is more of an Eastern North Carolina style Finishing Sauce...

2 C Apple Cider Vinegar
2T Worcestershire Sauce or more to taste
1/4C Brown Sugar
1T Smoked Paprika
2 tsp Granulated Garlic
2 tsp Granulated Onion
2 tsp Fine Grind Black Pepper
1 tsp Celery Salt
1 tsp Cayenne Pepper or Red Pepper Flake. Add more if you like Heat.
1/2 tsp Grnd Allspice

Combine all and whisk well. This is a thin sauce, bring just to a simmer and remove from heat. Adjust sweetness by adding Brn Sugar or additional Vinegar as desired...Makes about 2 Cups.

For a Lexington Style Dip add, 1/2C Ketchup and 1-3tsp Red Pepper Flakes...

I top my Pulled Pork with a Sweet, Thick Kansas City BBQ Sauce...

KC Bubba Q Juice

2C Ketchup
1/2C Brown Mustard (Gulden's)
1/4C Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2C Molasses
2C Dark Brn Sugar
1T Tomato Paste
1T Your Rub
1-2tsp Liquid Smoke
1tsp Worcestershire Sauce

Combine all and warm over low heat just until it starts to bubble. Simmer about 5 minutes, stirring very frequently, to combine flavors and to thicken slightly.
Use or pour into a sterile jar and refrigerate for up to 4 weeks.

Makes 3 1/2 Cups.

I like a Creamy Coleslaw on my Sandwich as well...Enjoy and best luck with your new toy...JJ

 

[Brokenhandle]

^^^^^^ what he said! Don't have a pellet grill so can't help much with that either but I bet some rec tec owners will chime in. All I can add is Don't run out of beer!

Ryan

 

[RyanDailey13]

Welcome...You have the meat and smoker.
Get a good Thermometer with Remote. The good Folks at INKBIRD are sponors, make a great therm and constantly run promotions.
You will want to know the Temp near the meat and the Internal Temp (IT) of the meat so you can monitor progress.

Next a tasty commercial or homemade Rub is great on the pork. I like to apply the night before but just before going in the smokers is not uncommon. Just coat generously, wrap and refer until ready to smoke. I like to add more the day of cooing.
Get your smoker going. The Rec Tec guys have lots of help there, and put the meat in.
Nice weather, as we are having, I get music going, a 12 pack of Yeungling Lager on Ice in a cooler and sit back to enjoy the Smoke and smell of Cooking Pork.
The timing varies be temp and other choices, like a Naked Smoke or Foiling at the Stall, IT of 160°F or so. With the Rec Tec or any Pellet Pooper, your best Smoke Generation is at 180° and you must decide if you want to spend a couple hours adding Heavy Smoke and then make up the Time at the end running Hot and Fast. Or go Low the entire time.
Generally I find...Plan on 2 hours per pound of pork at 225°F to 250°F. Then 30 minutes per pound LESS for every 25°F you increase the temp. At 325-350°F it takes 30 to 45 minutes per pound.
When the IT hits 200-205, take a Chopstick and start poking the meat. If the Chopstick slides in with No Resistance, your Pork is Done. A 30-60 rest, tented with foil, on the counter give time to set the table and get the sides ready. Pull the meat and Eat. I
If you get done sooner than expected, double wrap in Foil well, wrap in towels and place the Pork in a Cooler. It will stay hot a out 5 hours or until needed.
Finishing Sauces add moisture and flavor to the pulled meat and folks Top their Pork with a variety of stuff. Below are some of my Favorite Pulled Pork Recipes...JJ

My Favorite Rub...

Cajun Rib Tickler

1C Tubinado or Dried Brown Sugar*
1/4C Paprika**
2T Kosher Salt
2T Garlic Powder
2T Onion Powder
2T Mustard Powder
2T Chili Powder
2tsp Black Pepper
1-2tsp Cayenne
2tsp Dry Oregano
2tsp Dry Thyme
2tsp Cry Celery Flakes
1tsp Celery Seed

Grind the Oregano, Thyme, Celery Flake and Seed. Mix all and store in air tight container, up to 3 months...

Notes...* Leave out the Sugar for a Cajun Blackening Spice. Spinkle a lot or a little, on whatever meat, dip in melted Butter or Olive oil and saute in a very hot pan until cooked to your desired IT.

** If you wish you can use Smoked Paprika in the recipe. This will give a seasoning that will add some "Smokey flavor" to Grilled, Sauteed, Fried or Roasted meat, not just stuff you smoke.

Mix and store in an air tight container...

I like a Tangy Finishing Sauce IN the Pork...

Tangy Pulled Pork Finishing Sauce

This is more of an Eastern North Carolina style Finishing Sauce...

2 C Apple Cider Vinegar
2T Worcestershire Sauce or more to taste
1/4C Brown Sugar
1T Smoked Paprika
2 tsp Granulated Garlic
2 tsp Granulated Onion
2 tsp Fine Grind Black Pepper
1 tsp Celery Salt
1 tsp Cayenne Pepper or Red Pepper Flake. Add more if you like Heat.
1/2 tsp Grnd Allspice

Combine all and whisk well. This is a thin sauce, bring just to a simmer and remove from heat. Adjust sweetness by adding Brn Sugar or additional Vinegar as desired...Makes about 2 Cups.

For a Lexington Style Dip add, 1/2C Ketchup and 1-3tsp Red Pepper Flakes...

I top my Pulled Pork with a Sweet, Thick Kansas City BBQ Sauce...

KC Bubba Q Juice

2C Ketchup
1/2C Brown Mustard (Gulden's)
1/4C Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2C Molasses
2C Dark Brn Sugar
1T Tomato Paste
1T Your Rub
1-2tsp Liquid Smoke
1tsp Worcestershire Sauce

Combine all and warm over low heat just until it starts to bubble. Simmer about 5 minutes, stirring very frequently, to combine flavors and to thicken slightly.
Use or pour into a sterile jar and refrigerate for up to 4 weeks.

Makes 3 1/2 Cups.

I like a Creamy Coleslaw on my Sandwich as well...Enjoy and best luck with your new toy...JJ

Thank you for the help and tips! This helped alot!

 

[forktender]

First smoke, I'd recommend keeping it simple.
Such as a simple rub of salt, pepper, garlic powder onion powder, paprika and some brown sugar. Smoke at 250* for 4-5 hours then take the butt out and wrap it up in a double layer of foil. To make things easier place a small rack into an aluminum foil pan than place the butt on the rack. Add 8-10 oz of peach or pineapple juice,, Coke, or 7up and a cup of H2o to the pan and cover tightly with foil. Then bump up the temp of your cooker to 275* until a shish kebab skewer slides into the meat without hardly any resistance. Depending on the size of the butt this can take up yo 10- 15 hours. I'd start checking it with the skewer at about 8 hours total cook time than every 30 to 40 minutes until it's done.

There are no correct ways to cook these things you just have to find the way that suits you.
I don't get caught up in smoke temps if the smoker is within 20 to 30* I call it good. Butts are the most forgiving cut of meat there is, let it ride until it probs nice and easy and you will do great. Disregard if you are OCD and need to over think things, because the way I described isn't for you then. LOL!!!

 

[RyanDailey13]

Do you already have a plan for what your process will be?

I was thinking 225 till about IT 180 or so then wrap in foil with some apple cider vinegar and back on for a few more hours,

 

[jcam222]

I was thinking 225 till about IT 180 or so then wrap in foil with some apple cider vinegar and back on for a few more hours,

You’ve gotten some great advice! From a cooking temp perspective I have settled in ok doing my butts at 275F. You will get plenty of smoke and cut cooking time a lot. If you are going to wrap I’d do so at about 160F which is the usual stall temp. No need to unwrap to finish since you will be pulling it anyway. I love JJ’s Lexington style sauce on pork. I bump up the ketchup and sweetener a little and use it as a side sauce.

 

[forktender]

I'm not sure about using straight cider vinegar you might want to cut it with some apple juice 50/50% if you don't have any apple juice cut the vinegar with H2o 50/50% and I think you will be happier with the results.

Butt's don't really gain anything by smoking them at 225*. It won't hurt anything it will just take much longer to achieve damn near the exact same results as smoking it at 250-275*.
If you have time to kill go for the 225* smoke, I'm not into sitting around watching the smoker that long anymore when I know I can bump up the heat and achieve virtually the exact same thing in less time using less fuel/wood/pellets.

Good luck, you'll do great.
Post up some pictures.
Dan

 

[normanaj]

Not much more that I can add other than can't wait to see the finished results.

 

[schlotz]

Welcome aboard Ryan! As you can see, there are great people here always willing to help. Pork butts are a great way to start as butts are about the most forgiving and can be smoked multiple ways. You might take a look at the recipe below in my signature, it's the one I always recommend to those who are starting out.